Spindle mounting



April 27 1926. 1,582,693

F. RIEBEL, JR

SPINDLE MOUNTING Filed NOV. 29, 1921 Patented Apr. 27, 1926.

UNITED sTATs lPATENT orFlcE;

FRED RIEBEL, JR., OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO HAMILTON-BEACH MFG.

C0., OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A. CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

SPINDLE MoUNTrNe.

Application led November 29, 1921. Serial No. 518,512.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRED RIE-BEL, Jr.,fa citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, county of Racine, and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spindle Mountings, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to spindle mountings and` more 'particularly to mountings for the brush spindles of vacuum cleaners.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple and effective self-oiler for spindle journals.

- It is a further object of the invention to provide a mounting for vacuum `cleaner brush spindles that permits easy adjustment of the position of the' spindle to compensate for wear of the brush bristles. y

With these'general objects in view the 1nvention consists in the features, combinations, details of constructionand arrangements of parts which will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawing and then more particularly pointed out.

In the drawing,-

Fig. 1 i's a view of a vacuum cleaner constructed in accordance with the invention, lwith parts in said elevation and parts in vertical section;

Fig..2 in a section view (enlarged) taken' on the line 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showmg 1n vertical section-one end of the spindle and its mounting; and Y f Fig. l is a sectional view taken on the line 4of`Fig. 3. e..

Referring to the drawing, theinvention in its entirety includes in combination with aspindle and its journal, a journal box hav- Iing a portion serving vas a bearing anda portion for holding a` lubricating element 1n contact with the ljournal and means tending to draw thefjournal into the bearing portion of the journal box. The spindle illustrated asan example isthe brush' spindle of a vacuum cleaner. Although capable of various constructions, in the' present embodiment there is provided a brush spindle 11 having' reduced end journals 12 v.formed by a rod 13 extending through the spindle.` The spindle 11 has a plurality of brush bristles 14 arranged thereon in any suitable manner.

. The journal box-here shown las an example comprises a casing 15 open at its inner end and closed at its outer end, as appears in Fig.

3. The'casing 15 is trough shaped (Fig. 4), the apex of the trough constituting a bearing portion 16 for the spindle journal 12.A 'Ihe flaring portion 17 of the journal box provides a chamber for holding a lubri-l cating elementsuch as oil-soaked packing 18. It will be understood that each end of rthe spindle has a journal and journal box,

these elements being` duplicates of each other.

'While the means for drawing the 4journals into the bearings may vary, this may be accomplished conveniently by the elements that drive the spindle. c In the exemplification illustrated, the spindle is rotated by means of a belt 19 formed of rubber or other,

suitable material This belt runs over a spindle pulley 20 land over a crown pulley 21 on a driven .shaft 22. As shown, this shaft is an extension from-a fan shaft driven by a motor contained in the motor casing 23, fan shaft and mot-or not being shown.

The journal boxes are so mounted that the apex of the trough points upwardly, -a suitable mounting' being hereinafter described. The pull of the elastici-belt on the spindle ten'ds to draw the journals 12 into the bear- -25 that slips over the end of the spindle.

- The invention in its ,entirety includes, in combination with'a nozzle having a suction mouth, meansfor mounting the brush spindle at varying distances above the plane of the mouth, thereby to adjustl the spindleto compensate for wear ofthe bristles. This` may be accomplished, for example, by'providing for each end of the spindle, an angularly movable bracket having differentially arranged pockets for receiving spindle-end supporting members..I Although capable of `various constructions, in the Vembodiment here illustrated as an example, in front of the motor casing 23 is a fan casing 26 which communicates with a nozzle 2T having a suction mouth 2S. Motor casing, fan casing and nozzle constitute the body of the cleaner which is supported on ruiming wheels 29 and moved about by a handle 30.

The brush spindle is so mounted that the bristles extend through the suction mouth to engage the surface to be cleaned. In the present embodiment, the spindle-end supports referred to are the journal boxes 15'. The pockets for the journal boxes are U- shaped notches 31 formed in the periphery of a circular bracket or plate These notches are of different depth and the plate 32 is angularly movable to bring any desired notch into position to receive the jour nal box. As here shown, the plates or brackets 32 are mounted on the inside of the end walls of the nozzle by axial bolts 33. Pins 34 are threaded into the nozzle wall to eugage notches not in use and gprevent the brackets 32 from turning. As appears in Fig. 4, the journal boxes seat in those notches which open downwardly, the spindle being held in place up in these notches, in the present embodiment, by the pull of the belt 19.

When the brush is new, the brackets 32 are arranged so that the deepest notch is in position to receive the spindle end supports, in this case the journal boxes. As the brush bristles become worn and consequently shorter, the spindle may be positioned closer to the suction mouth. To this end, the belt 19 is removed, a cap 35 in the front of the 'nozzle providing access to the belt. Removal of the belt permits the spindle with the journal boxes to be removed from the brackets. The brackets are then rotated one quarter turn to place the next shorter notch in bottom position. The spindle with its journal boxes and the belt being repaced, the spindle is now closer to the suction mouth so the worn bristles can properly function.

What is claimed'is:

l. In combination, a spindle having a journal, a journal box formed to provide an open-sided bearing for the journal and having a chamber for holding a lubricating element in contact with the journal, and means tending to draw the journal into the bearing portion of the journal box.

2. In combination, a spindle having a journal, a journal box having a portion serving as a bearing for the journal and a portion for holdingr a lubricating clement in contact with the journal, and driving mean.; for the spindle, the parts being so arranged that; the driving means tends to draw the journal into the lbearing portion of the journal box.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, in combination, a brush spindle having a journal, a journal box having a portion serving as a bearing for the journal and a portion for holding a lubricating element, a driven shaft, and a resilient belt for driving the spindle l'roni said shaft, the pull of the belt on the spindle tending to draw the journal into said beau ing portion.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, in combination with a nozzle having a suction mouth, a brush spindle, a plurality' of brush bristles thereon, an angularly movable bracket for each end of the spindle, carried by the nozzle and having a plurality of differentially arranged 'pockets, and spindle-end supports insertable in said pockets, whereby the position of the brush above the plane of the suction mouth can be adjusted to compensate for wear of the bristles.

5. In a vacuum cleaner, in combination with a nozzle having a suction mouth, a brush spindle, a plurality of brush bristles thereon, journals on the spindle, journal boxes, and an angularly movable bracket for each end of the spindle carried by the nozzle and having a plurality of notches for the reception of said journal boxes, said notches being of different depths, whereby the spindle may be mounted at varying distances above the plane of the suction mouth, to compensate for Wear of the bristles.

6. In a vacuum cleaner, in combination with a nozzle having a suction mouth, a brush spindle, a plurality of fbrush bristles thereon, an angularly movable bracket, for each end of the spindle, carried by the nozzle and having a plurality of open-ended notches of dierentdepths, spindle-end supports insertable in said pockets, a drive shaft, and a resilientI belt for driving the spindle from said shaft and for pulling the supports into said notches.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

FRED RIEBEL, JR. 

